Man Out of Time

Chapter One: Meet Steve Rogers

Steven Roger's story goes back further than a man looking for where he belongs in a all-too-modern Times Square. In fact, his story really begins 1922 when he was born. He was a very frail baby and barely survived. At age 4, his parents found out that he had a gift for art. At age 6, Steve was deeply troubles by images of war on the television. It kept him up at night. The only time he didn't think about it was when he was with his best friend, Bucky. And he still thought about it then. At age, 7 he confronted his parents and told them he was going to join the army one day. They encouraged him but, honestly, they thought he was too frail. Then they got a fever. Steve was sent to live with Bucky's parents, but his parents couldn't afford for him to stay their too long. Then Steve got word that his parents had died. Against Bucky's wishes, he was sent to The Brooklyn Orphanage. Then he grew up, went to school, and got bullied. A whole lot. The only person who would stand up for him was Bucky. But Steve and Bucky both knew that Bucky might not always be there. He's have to learn to fend for himself someday.

"Sir, please just give me a chance, I-"

"I'm savin' your life. Next!"

Steve looked down at his military form. All the words blurred together except that big, fat 4-F. That was the sixth time he'd been put down. This week. But his extreme patriotism refused to let him quit trying. He was certain that one  time he would get accepted. After all, Bucky had gotten in. The first time. And he didn't even have to falsify-er, slightly alter his application. Slightly alter. Slightly alter. That's what Steve kept telling himself. He had to change a bit of his story each time he tried to get into the army. Right now he was Billy from Texas, George from Washington (pun intended. Hey, I said the guy was wimpy, I didn't say anything about his sense of humor), Tom from Oregon, Tony from Atlanta, Daniel from Tennessee, and a lot of others that he couldn't remember. Steve walked into a movie theater. He payed 25 cents and went in (heh heh, good ol' days...). An advertisemnt for the Army was on the screen before the movie. It showed footage from Europe. Steve's heart ached. There was nothing more he wanted than to be on in the fight alongside those brave men putting their lives on the line for America's freedom. There was nothing more he wanted than to shut the bullies who started the war up. There was nothing more he wanted than-

"Jeez, play the cartoon already!"

Steve heard a voice on the front row say. He got really angry. He could barely keep it in.

"Show some respect, why don't ya'?" Steve whispered.

"Let 'em clean up their own mess!"

"YOU WANNA SHUT UP?!"

CRACK! Steve fell onto a garbage can in the alley behind the theater. He had just been punched by what felt like a bulldozer. But Steve knew it was the disrespectful, un-patriotic snob he had told to shut up in the movie theater. BOOM! Steve fell onto the floor. The man towered over him. That was the twelfth punch Steve had taken. Still, he grabbed the lid off the garbage can and held it out in front of him as a shield.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" The man asked as he grabbed the shield, threw it aside, and punched Steve right in the jaw. Steve got up again. Suddenly, there was a hand holding the man's face against the wall. Steve looked up.

Bucky.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Bucky taunted. No matter how hard he tried, the man couldn't punch Bucky. But Bucky could punch him. "What's with all the fighting? Don't you know there's a war going on?" Bucky said as he turned around and kicked the man right in the butt, sending him off. Bucky came to help Steve up.

"What was it this time?" Bucky questioned.

"He was being disrespectful to the soldiers."

"What soldiers?"